Pneumatic valve



Jan. 15, 1924. 1,481,023

, PIERCE PNEUMATIC VALVE Filed June 27. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 wuawto u Harry Pierce.

Jan. 15, 1924.

H. PIERCE PNEUMATIC VALVE Filed June 27 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Eluwmtoz Harry Pierce.

Patented Jan. 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY PIERCE, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

PNEUMATIC VALVE.

Application filed June 27, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l HARRY Prunes, a citimen of the United States, residing at San Diego, in the county of Qan Diego and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Valves, of which the following is a specifi cation.

This invention is :in improved pneumatic valve, particularly adapted to he used in a player piano record centering mechanism. su h as disclosed in my Patent #1.,403525. issued January 17. 1922. i

The valve mechanism. however, may be used for other purposes.

Tn this specification and the annexed drawing, I illustrate my invention in the form which I consider best, but I do not limit my invention to such form because it may be embodied in other forms, and it is to be understood that in and by the claims following the description herein, I intend to cover my invention in whatever form it may be embodied.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a, player piano tracker box embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the some.

Figure 3 is a plan view of my valve mechanism alone.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of one of the valves of my valve mechanism.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of one of the pueumatirs taken on line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of the other pneumatic taken on line 6-6 of Figure 3.

In the drawing 1 indicates a player piano tracker box including a frame 2 in which is mounted the tracker bar 3 and in which are journaled the record winding spool 4 and the spindles 5 and 6 for holding the record spool 7 On the winding spool shaft 8 is secured a gear 9 adapted to mesh with a pinion 1O slidably keyed on a shaft 11 suitably journaled in bearing 12 in the player piano. On the end of the shaft 11 is secured V a sprocket 13 over which travels a chain 14 which also travels over a sprocket 15 on a shaft 16 driven by a suitable motor (not shown). On the shaft 11 is loosely mounted a sprocket 17 and a sprocket 18 is secured on the spindle 5, over which sprockets travels a chain 19. A lever 20. pivoted on a bracket on the tracker box frame 2, actuates the pinion 10 and a clutch 21 whereby the pinion is shifted into and out of engage- Serial No. 571,524.

ment with the gear 9 and the sprocket 17 is clutched to the Shaft 11 and unclutched therefrom. -VVhen the pinion 10 is shifted into mesh with car 9 the record winding spool is rotated y the motor. through the medium of shaft 16, sprocket 15, chain 14-. sprocket 13. shaft 11. pinion 10, gear 9 and shaft 8, to wind up the record on the spool across the tracker board, and the sprocket 17 is unclutched from the shaft 11 to prevent operation of the record spool 7, through the medium of said sprocket, chain 19 and sprocket 18, and to allow the spool 7 to rotate freely to allow the record to be unwound therefrom across the tracker board and wound upon the spool 4. On the tracker board 3 are pivoted two valve can rying levers 25 and 26 on which are pivoted respectively a pair of trigger valves 27 and 28, said levers being pivoted in such position that the trigger valves rest at the edges of the record 30 as it passes over the tracker board.

The trigger valves 27 and 28 control the ends of tubes 31 and 32 respectively. A pair of regulating pnuematics 33 and 34 are mounted bv brackets 35 on the tracker box frame 2. valve chest 36 is mounted below said neumatics. The tube 31 leads into the pneumatic 33 and a tube 37 leads from the tube 31 into a chamber 38 in the valve chest 36. The tube 32 leads into a chamber 39 in said valve chest. The chest 36 is also formed with a chamber 40 from which a tube 41 leads to the pneumatic 34. An exhaust tube 45 leads from the reserve (not shown). Said exhaust tube connects with a tube 46, leading into a chamber 47 in chest 36. and with tubes 48 and 49 leading respectively into pneumatics 33 and 34. A port 50 leads from the chest chamber 39 into the chamber 40. which port is controlled by a valve 51. The stem 52 of said valve extends through the wall between the chambers 40 and 47 into the chamber 47 and has a head 53 on its extremity for engaging a pouch 54 forming the dividing wall between the chambers 47 and 38. A bleed hole 100 leads from vacuum chamber 47 to air chamber 38.

A pouch 5 5 extends across the opening in the wall between the chambers 40 and 47 through which the valve stem '52 extends and is secured tightly around said valve stem, said pouch preventing leakage from one chamber to the other through said opening. To the movable member of the one matic 33 is comment one endio f roil 6b, t lle other end of which rod is connected to one end of a lever 6i pivoted on a bracket 62 secured to the trackei' box frame 2. T be other end of said lever 61 is forked and engages a grooved head 5* 0n the extremity of spindle 5. A sprin 63 is connecte d at its respective ends to t e extremity of the spindle 6 and to the frame 2 and tends to draw the spindles 6 and 5 and the record spool T to the right. s

A rod is connected at. one end to the movable member of pneumatic 34 and at i ts other end to a lever 66 pivoted at 67 to the tracker board 3. A link 68 connects the trigger valve lever and the lever 66. The links 68 and 69 are connected to the lever 66 at opposite sides of the pivotitif ot lever 66. A spring 76 connects to the lever 66 and to the frame 2 and tends to swing the lever 66 so as to swing the endsof the trigger valves 27 and 28 away from the edges of the record 30. The ends of the tubes 48 and 49 which lead into the Pneumatics 33 and 34 are provided with small vents 75 which establish communication between said tubes. and the respective neumatics into which they lead. The endof tube 46 Communicates with chamber. Q7 through bleed hole 75.

The operation of my inventionris as follows:

The edges of the record 30 pass over the tracker board 3 between the trigger valves 2'? and 28. Under perfect operating eonditions of the record, its edges engagethe trigger valves 27 and 28 and open them slightly. A small amount of air is admitted by valve 27 through tube 31 into. pneumatic 33 and through tubes 31 and 37 into the chamber 38. The .air admitted into said chamber raises po'uch 54 slightly andop'ens valve 51 slightly. A small amount of air is admitted by valve 28 through tube into chest chamber 39, through port 50 into chamber d0, through tube ll into pneumatic 34. Thus all is exhausted from the pneumatic-s and 3t through the vents 75 and a pneumatic balance is established in said pneufanatics. If the record shifts to the right the trigger valve 27 closes and the trigger-waive 28 opens further under which conditions both Pneumatics 33 and 34 begin to collapse, the air being shut oil from pheirmatic 34.- by the closing of valve 51, and the opening of trigger valve 28 having no eifect. The rod 60 s moved to the right by the pneumatic 33 and the record 30 is shiitted to the. left through the medium of lever61 and spindle 5, while at the same time the engaging ends of the trigger valves 27 and 28 are swung towards each other. through the medium of rod 65, lever 66 and rods 68 and.69, and the edges of the record engage and open both trigger valves 27 and 28. As the trigger valves are thus opened and the record shifts tile bliclt into uligninnt with the tracker board, air enters and expands the pneumatics 33 and 34:; the air entering pneumatic through tape 31 and the air entering ptreinnatic 34 through tube 32, chamber 39', port 50, chamber 40 and tube 4E1, the valve 51. being 0 )cned bythe air passing i'roin tube 31 thrbu g h tube 37, into the chamber tie. The expanding of the pneumatics 34 allows springs to swing the engaging ends of the trigger valves aii'zrv from each other through the medium of lever 66 and links 6? and 65}. whereby the trigger vzalvrs are brought to their normal position and the record back into alignment with the tracker board. and the pneumatic balance is i'r-cst ahlished in tinpneuinatics 33 and 34.

If the record shifts to the left, the trigger valve 2? o ens wider and the trigger valve :5 closes, un er which conditions pneumatic 33 expands and pneumatic 34 collapses, whereupon the record is shifted to the right by springs 63 and at the same time both trigger valves are swung towards each other through the medium of rod 65, lever 66, and rods 68 and 69 and the trigger valve 28 is engaged and opened by the edge of the reconl. the trigger valve also being held open by the edge of the record. Airthen enters pneumatic through tube 32, chamber 39, port 50 (the valve fil. opened by the air admitted through open trigger valve 27, tubes 31 and 37 into chamber 38) chamber 40 and tube 41, and the spring 70 swings the trigger valves away from each other through the medium of lever 66 and links 68 and 69 and said trigger valves are brought to their normal position, (the pneumatic balance being established in pneumatics 33 and 34) and the record is brought back into alignment with the tracker board.

My double trigger mechanism maintains thelateral shifting movement of the rerord Within a smaller limit. thanis possible with other devices. and provides a centering mechanism ol highest accurzn v and ethciency.

The air is exhausted from the pneumatics 33 and 34 through small vents i5 and are balanced when the triggers are opened enough to admit atmospheric pressure to the same amount being exhausted. If the trigger valves are opened to a greater extent they will admit more atmospheric pressure than the small vents are exhausting and the opposing springs 63 and 70 will move the pnelnnatics in the opposite direction or expand them. 7 v

Trigger 27 when open admits air direct to pneumatic also to chamber 38 under membrane 5a. which lifts valve 51 allowing a direct passage from trigger 28 to pneumatic 34: through chamber 39, port 50. chamher 40 and tube 41.

When the trigger 26 s 0 tell it will admit till air to pneumatic 34. if valve 51 is also open. It valve 51 is not oucn the trigger 28 has no efiect on pneumatic 34, as no air p ss through valve 5] until trigger 2T is open. lVhen this occurs the trigger is will balance pneumatic 3 \Vhenever and however the trigger 27 touches ihe left edge and the trigger 28 touche the right edge. the Web will be perfectly centered regardless of swelling and shrinking. The trigger 27 will hold valve 51 open and balance pneumatic 33, holding music spool in perfect alignment.

The edges of theweb control the triggers in a central position regardless of width and the i riggers control the web in per tect alignment.

The detect of centering devices now in use is that when the edge of the record is shrunken the trigger valve does not engage it and the record may shift out of alignment without operating the valve to shift it back into alignment. or when the edge of the record is swollen it engages and opens the valve while the record is in alignment and shifts the record out of alignment.

This defect is overcome by my invention in the operation of the trigger valve 28, which swings the trigger valve 21'' outwardly to prevent the swollen edge from opening said valve and shifting the record out of alignment. and swings the trigger 27 inwardly into contact with the shrunken edge of the record so that said edge will engage the trigger valve 27 immediately and prevent the record shifting to the left out of alignment.

Having described my invention. I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In combination. a valve chest having an air inlet chamber. an air outlet chamber, a pouch vacuum chamber, a pouch air chamher, a port leading from said air inlet chamher into said air outlet chamber. :1 valve con trolling said port. a pouch between said pouch vacuum chamber and said pouch air chamber for engaging said valve and opening said ort when said pouch air chamber is filled with air, means whereby said pouch air chamber may be exhausted through said vacuum chamber to permit closing of the valve, a pneumatic, an air inlet tube communicating with said pneumatic and said pouch air chamber, a valve controlling said inlet tube, a second air inlet tube leading into said air inlet chamber. a second pneumatic, an air outlet tube leading from said outlet air chamber to said second pneumatic and a source of exhaust communicating with both of said pneumatics and with said pouch vacuum chamber.

2. In combination, a valve chest having an air inlet chamber, an air outlet chamber, a pouch vacuum chamber, a pouch air chamher. a port leading from said air inlet chamher into said air outlet chamber, a valve controlling said port, a pouch between said pouch vacuum chamber and said pouch air chamber for engaging said valve and opening said port when said pouch air chamber is filled with air. means whereby said pouch air chamber may be exhausted through said vacuum chamber to permit closing of the valve, an air inlet tube communicating with said pouch air chamber, a valve controlling said air inlet tube, a second air inlet tube, communicating with said air inlet chamber. a valve controlling said second air inlet tube, an air outlet tube leading from said air outlet. chamber, and a source of exhaust communicating with said vacuum chamber.

3. In combination. an air inlet tube, a valve controlling admission of air through said tube. an air outlet tube, a valve for controlling eommunication between said air inlet and said air outlet tubes, a second air inlet tube. an inlet valve for said second air inlet tube, means to enable the air admitted through said second air inlet tube to open said controlling valve to establish communication between said first air inlet and said air outlet tubes. and means for closing said controlling valve for said air inlet tube and said air outlet tube when said second air inlet tube is closed by its valve.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

HARRY PIERCE. 

